A story of a family from Michigan, USA who traveled to Egypt for work.....served, laughed, loved....thrived thru the Egyptian Revolution....and then returned to Michigan after the job ended abruptly due to economic conditions.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Visa Acquired!! Pics of "Downtown Cairo"

We had a WONDERFUL morning with Mr. Osama!!!!!
O like octopus - short o.

S is between s and z

ama sounds like momma ;)

Anywho - we had a WONDERFUL morning! I have oodles of pics! We drove to Cairo, I took some photos. He taught me new words - we just had a nice time :-) The driver was very nice....he drove a bit fast for me - eek! 80km/h in tight traffic - GOOOOOOOO stop! eeek! lolol

We drove on Shayda Cahmish and went over 3 co-bree ;) just me using my new words ;)
cobree- bridge - shayda - street - cahmish/cohmish is the name of the road by the Nile...if I understand correctly....Cahmish is the Arabic word for the river itself...

So technically we were on Shayda Cahmish Maadi ;)
We saw MANY beautiful buildings and just interesting things!! We hoped to see a Nile Crocodile, but even Mr. Osama says they're not this far N :-) WHEW!

I almost needed to change my pants, I tell ya! All Arabic, all moving quickly and suddenly Mr. Osama says "ees too many important general, please bow"

and I had no time to say

WHAT?!?!

We walked into this immaculate office, and bow I did! I instructed Joshua "een Aarabee, dil ooh wah tee!" (speak in Arabic now)

I spoke to him in Arabic and he said in English

"I like, you sit! we do men work"

WHEW! :-)

I felt like falling over!!! When he was done he said "you done, you go" I bowed, spoke in Arabic and left"

DUDE I WAS SO SCARED!!!!

Mr. Osama said to me "He was too many impressed, Madam Wendy, you did too many well"

this is a BIG compliment ;)

Well, Mr. Osama enjoyed all my photos...Joshua **loved** all the big pigeons (hemmen) and we saw the Cairo Musuem! It was all I could do not to talk like a zombie and say "Imhotep, Imhotep" sorry - bad movie scene joke.

I just really enjoy the architecture of the mosques. The first photo is the outside of the building we were at in "downtown Cairo" or "big Cairo" whichever is fine - ha! After that is just photos of things that interested me. The water area is us on Shayda Cohmish above the Nile :-)

I hope you enjoy a peek!! Oh and Mr. Osama will deliver our Visa's at 1 pm. The General thinks it's too much for me to stay there w/ small children, so he will order them done today and ordered me home! AYE AYE! ;) It took us 2 hrs....and again, we just....bypassed lines and etc - WAY TO GO EDITA FOODS THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE HOSPITALITY AND GENEROSITY IS OUSTANDING!

I'd like to think Americans would do the same! :-)

So this is where we went, I couldn't get far enough away to capture the whole building. The interiors were ALL marble! walls, floors, desks...EXQUISITE!! I had to leave my camera w/ a security guard ;) No cameras..but.. (laaken) they were happy American thinks it's maya maya ;) so no problems like at Carrefour - lol



OH I'm side tracked - this is CSA. And this is the kids on the street by it


This is the desk where our guard sits for the building - last night when we walked to CSA to sign up for a program, we came down and this cat is sitting there meowing all mad as if a warning, it just cracked us all up...so Joshua said we needed a pic!


ok back to my pics from this morning :-)





do you see the tree pic, how it looks like roots hanging DOWN? isn't that INTERESTING??? Mr. Osama says yez eez rrroots!



Joshua - now do you see an orangy-peach building? we believe that's the Cairo Museum
:-)

COOL!

Mr. Osama says "ees nice, can take taxi and do as a family" OH GOOD! we can just go sometime when Rob is home! :-)

GOOD INFORMATION TO KNOW!



just the "courtyard" in front of the military/gov't building we were in....waiting for our driver to circle back for us ;) Another neat cultural thing to note is how well it bothers me in some ways yes..but..I'll get to that..how their personal space is not so big. Men comfortable holding children, guiding children, asking to "give five, geeve five" just very open socieny, no one dare touch me of course WHEW - lol. I accidentally offered my hand to a man one day and he was very offended - so sorry! Anywho - it's neat!! now what bothers me is the women kissing the kids on the head, the cheeks - lololol - me and my germs! lol otherwise, it's a very friendly gracious society!



here's the birds who tried out for Bolt, but they couldn't kick their accents ;)

they SURE had the NY strut down tho!!!

LOL











so this would be Shayda Cahmish Cairo! :-) Street Nile in Cairo :-) The adjectives come after, they place words opposite as in English. 82 is Two Eighty ;)



PERSONAL PRAISES!!

SOOOO excited!! Mr. Anas confirmed for me today - that I **indeed** can swim in the family pool with the kids DUE TO MY BATHING ATTIRE! HOORAY!!!

HUGE-O-MUNGUS SHOUT TO THE LORD!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!! best for last!
My mom's cancer is doing SOOOO bad...it's almost all gone.....after her next round of chemo, she'll have an MRI 4 treatments early and possibly end chemo early and start recovery EARLY!!!! :-) :-) Please keep praying! THANKS!!

Th was chemo - she's VERY sick now :-( It has made me VERY VERY homesick and crying a lot again.....just....being real with ya.

8 comments:

Wendy said...

Whew! What an experience! You had my stomach flipping with your disciption. Yikes! Glad it all went well! "You did too many well, Madaam Wendy" :) :) What an awesome employer Rob has!!!

Oh...and being able to hit the pool yourself. YAY!!! That's HUGE. :)

Happy to hear that the chemo is kicking butt!! YAY!! Sorry to hear though that it is making your Mama so sick. Can't imagine how difficult it is to be away from her right now. So sorry. :( I'm praying sweetie!

HollyMarie said...

Many praises to sing with you in this post! :) The pictures are wonderful Wendy. I will lift up your mom in prayer... how hard it would be to be so far away from her when she is going through all this.

Heather said...

First off...WAY TO GO MOM...fighting that horrible cancer!!!!! :)

LOVE the pictures Wendy!!!!!

The Dickersons said...

Can't believe you took the picture on the other side of the court yard AWAY from your kids!!!!!!! You know they would still be glued to my hip!!!!!!

Betty said...

SO MANY GOOD THINGS IN THIS POST GIRL!!!!!

The visas, the pool, you MOM!!!!! PTL!!!!!
WOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

praying for your heart and for your mom's healing and comfort... hang in there girl!!!!

(((((((((WENDY))))))))

Betty said...

just one more thing... the pigeons....

ROTFLMBO!!!!!!!!!!! :D too funny!!!!!

anne said...

Howdy! I must confess... I didn't know you were doing this blog.. so kept checking the old one hoping for updates! Much to my surprise I am WAY behind! I found this eventually on your profile info?? Sorry that I didn't know or missed this bit of info!

So... I have some reading to do, but so good to "hear/see" you all and PRAISE God for your mom's good report!

Our love,
Anne

Lori said...

LOVE THE PICTURES!!! Thanks so much...it is just amazing!

So happy to hear about your mom!! PTL!!!!! Sorry it is making so sick right now but the end may be in sight!

YEAH...you get to go swimming with the kiddos! :):)

Lori